MoneySavingExpert.com Cheap Train Tickets Article Discussion

dzug1

elephantrosie wrote: »

dzug, in regard to your last statement, i thought if i buy the ticket on spot it would be 12 pounds?
i know the price varies everyday. i checked the price to go back NOW (as if i am now in stansted and i am about to buy the tickets to get back to leicester), its only 12 quids.

Nooooo

A ticket bought on the spot is over £40 direct and £60 odd via London.

If you are getting £12 for now you've either put the wrong date in or there's an error on the website.

The £7, £12 and £15 prices are all advance purchase - they are available up to the day before if they haven't sold out before then

denzil6

Hello,

Once a week, I travel back and forth to London to work. I haven't had much luck splitting tickets, it's very difficult to find cheap advance tickets, and am finding the cheapest return - £60.50 - a killer as it means getting the 05.15 train from Cardiff (I need to get in to Paddington by 8.30am, by the way). It would also be great if I could get an earlier train than the 19:15 back.

It's a tough one, and I'm sure many people are having the same problem - but am I missing something? Is there a rail card I could buy?

The early train is testing my sanity and the fare is testing my pocket. Help!

Owen

dzug1

denzil6 wrote: »

Hello,

Once a week, I travel back and forth to London to work. I haven't had much luck splitting tickets, it's very difficult to find cheap advance tickets, and am finding the cheapest return - £60.50 - a killer as it means getting the 05.15 train from Cardiff (I need to get in to Paddington by 8.30am, by the way). It would also be great if I could get an earlier train than the 19:15 back.

It's a tough one, and I'm sure many people are having the same problem - but am I missing something? Is there a rail card I could buy?

The early train is testing my sanity and the fare is testing my pocket. Help!

Owen

Splitting at Swindon and/or Didcot might help - note that the train must call at the split station(s). Probably no problem for Swindon, but not everything calls at Didcot.

Regarding the railcard - either a YP or Senior would help if you are the right age. The latter would not help with a Didcot - London peak ticket though

Broadstone

Got some friends visiting me from the Southwest. They can get Megatrain tickets to London for less than £10 each. They are travelling during the weekend. They think that they can upgrade to 1st class for £5 each by upgrading at their originating station. Could someone please confirm accordingly and let me know so that I can advise them.

Also are there any other train operators that offer a similar deal ?

Many thanks

dzug1

Broadstone wrote: »

Got some friends visiting me from the Southwest. They can get Megatrain tickets to London for less than £10 each. They are travelling during the weekend. They think that they can upgrade to 1st class for £5 each by upgrading at their originating station. Could someone please confirm accordingly and let me know so that I can advise them.

Also are there any other train operators that offer a similar deal ?

Many thanks

AFAIK you can't upgrade a megatrain ticket to 1st class - only those issued by the train operator.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/promotions/pr3744bcc35ce7410024862c7ece4649/details.html

lists the companies that offer weekend first. No mention of megatrain

I have a feeling it may be £10, not £5, but ICBW. Or it may depend on the journey/company

KeithP

Broadstone wrote: »

Got some friends visiting me from the Southwest. They can get Megatrain tickets to London for less than £10 each. They are travelling during the weekend. They think that they can upgrade to 1st class for £5 each by upgrading at their originating station. Could someone please confirm accordingly and let me know so that I can advise them.

Also are there any other train operators that offer a similar deal ?

Many thanks

Welcome back Mr Broadstone.
Still looking for a bargain I see.

Broadstone

KeithP wrote: »

Welcome back Mr Broadstone.
Still looking for a bargain I see.

Absolutely and thoroughly deserved ! If I can get a bargain for myself or any of my family or friends, I will take it.

For one of my previous jobs, I had to travel dalily via train to/from London. On many occassions, I had to stand for over 1.25hrs for the return journey due to overcrowded trains. I even had 1st class rails tickets for a number of the journeys but still had to stand !

On one of my 1st class train journeys during Xmas last year, there were 2 railway employees in the 1st class carriage with myself. They openly had their feet up on the seats during the 40 mins duration of their journey. I would have complained but there was no ticket inspector walking the carriages during their journey. Even if one had been present, I have no confidence that he would have done anything pro-aactive !

As I have said before, the trains are cheap, dirty, noisy and certainly not worth the money that the train companies charge. As a consequence of the above, I have no guilty conscience with anything that I have done and will happily do so again.:j

KerryMR

I have spent all evening trying to find some cheap train tickets & wondering if anyone knows of any special offers I could try... I need 3 adult & 1 child return tickets from Exeter to Paddington on Sat 10th April. Arriving in London between about 10am-12, leaving any time from 7pm the same day. The cheapest I've found so far is about £178 for the four tickets.

Does anybody have any suggestions? Thank you.

Livingthedream

KerryMR wrote: »

I have spent all evening trying to find some cheap train tickets & wondering if anyone knows of any special offers I could try... I need 3 adult & 1 child return tickets from Exeter to Paddington on Sat 10th April. Arriving in London between about 10am-12, leaving any time from 7pm the same day. The cheapest I've found so far is about £178 for the four tickets.

Does anybody have any suggestions? Thank you.

First of all get yourself a family and friends railcard use online discount code promo25 for a 25% discount (£19.50)

From the East coast website and includes railcard discount
Next if you can be flexible with your timings and London Terminal then try this;
Exeter St Davids to London Waterloo via Honiton dep 05:10 arr 08:49 Advance single £28.25 To get this 'more options then via Honiton'

London Paddington to Exeter St Davids (direct not via Honiton) dep 20:30 arr 23:49 Advance single £41.25
Total return £69.50 + £19.50 (railcard) = £89

stmarcus

Hi all,

This is my first ever post on Moneysavingsexpert, so please accept my apologies if I am not following due etiquette.

I am looking to travel from London to Margate on Thursday 30/3 with a return ticket sometime within 10 days. The best price that I can get is £29 return. I can't find any advance tickets for this route for that day or any other day.

Could someone please advise me if I am missing something or is £29-00 the cheapest fare that I can get ? For info, I am travelling on my own to see family over Easter and I don't mind how long the journey takes as long as I can save some money.

Many thanks